1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information signals for a recording medium cartridge such as a magnetic disc cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to now, a flat-plate-shaped recording medium, such as a so-called floppy disc, has been proposed. This floppy disc is constituted by a thin disc substrate coated with a recording layer, such as a magnetic layer. The floppy disc is rotatably housed in a thin casing-like cartridge having a flat-plate-shaped appearance, and is used as it is housed in the cartridge. There is also proposed a recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information signals using this recording medium.
In this recording/reproducing apparatus, the recording medium is inserted into the apparatus with its major surface in a horizontal state via an elongated slit formed in the front side of the apparatus. The recording medium is loaded on a recording/reproducing unit in the recording/reproducing apparatus.
The floppy disc is held in the recording/reproducing apparatus by having its center hub portion held by a disc table constituting a recording/reproducing unit. This disc table, holding a floppy disc, is rotated by a spindle motor along with the floppy disc. For the floppy disc, run in rotation in this manner, information signals are recorded and/or reproduced by a magnetic head device.
The slit, via which a recording medium is inserted into the inside of a recording/reproducing apparatus, is closed by an openable lid plate, in the normal state in which it is not passed through by a recording medium, in order to prevent intrusion of dust and dirt into the inside of the apparatus. This lid plate has its upper edge portion rotatably mounted on an upper side portion of the slit in an outer casing of a recording medium via a pivot. When a recording medium is inserted into the slit from outside, this lid plate is thrust by a forward end of the recording medium looking along the direction of movement of the latter so as to be rotated towards the inside of the recording medium to open the slit.
If the recording medium is loaded on a recording/reproducing unit, the slit is kept opened, with the lower edge of the door resting on the upper surface of the recording medium. When the recording medium is disengaged from the recording/reproducing unit and ejected out of the recording/reproducing apparatus, the slit is kept opened, and the recording medium, having its upper surface kept in sliding contact with the lower edge of the lid plate, is ejected via the slit. When the recording medium is completely ejected, the slit of the lid plate is closed.
In the above-described recording/reproducing apparatus, it is desired to use a recording medium having a higher information recording density and hence a larger recording capacity. In a recording/reproducing apparatus, employing a recording medium having a high recording density, it is necessary to reliably prevent intrusion of dust and dirt into the apparatus more since a higher information recording density in a recording medium leads to an increased adverse effect of dust and dirt on the correct recording/reproduction of information signals.
In this consideration, a lid plate which allows a slit for insertion of a recording medium to be kept opened on loading thereof cannot be the one to be optimum in preventing intrusion of dust and dirt into the apparatus. It is therefore contemplated to use a lid plate which causes a slit for insertion of the recording medium to be closed.
However, the lid plate, thrust by a recording medium being inserted into the recording/reproducing apparatus and thereby opened towards the inside of the apparatus at the time of insertion of the recording medium into the apparatus, cannot be closed by movement of the recording medium when the recording medium is ejected from the inside towards the outside of the apparatus.
It may be contemplated to use a lid plate which is rotated towards the outside of the recording/reproducing apparatus with ejection of the recording medium. However, in this case, since the lid plate needs to be rotatable both towards the inside and towards the outside of the recording/reproducing apparatus, the lid plate needs to be smaller in size than the slit. In this case, the lid plate cannot sufficiently close the slit, so that intrusion of dust and dirt into the apparatus cannot be prevented sufficiently.
It may also be contemplated to provide a mechanism for opening the lid plate with ejection of the recording medium. However, in such case, the recording/reproducing apparatus is bulky and complex in structure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a recording/reproducing apparatus whereby intrusion of dust and dirt into the inside of the apparatus can be prohibited reliably to permit the recording medium of high information recording density to be used without increasing the size or the complexity in structure of the apparatus.
For overcoming the above problem, a recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present invention includes a cartridge holder into which is inserted a recording medium cartridge in a direction along the major surface of the recording medium cartridge, and door member positioned in its initial state on the path of movement of the recording medium cartridge adapted to be inserted into the cartridge holder, the door member presenting an inclined surface inclined relative to the direction of movement of the recording medium cartridge on the path of movement, the door member being supported for rotation up to a position outside the path of movement of the recording medium. The recording/reproducing apparatus also includes a closure member on which abuts one end edge of the door member and means for biasing the door member towards the closure member.
In the recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, the door member has its inclined surface thrust by the forward edge along the direction of movement of the disc cartridge, when the recording medium cartridge is inserted into the cartridge holder or the recording medium cartridge is ejected from the cartridge holder, so that the door member is rotated against the bias of the biasing means to cooperate at its end edge with a closure member to clamp both major surfaces of the recording medium cartridge to guide the recording medium cartridge.
This door member reliably closes the path of movement of the recording medium cartridge to prevent intrusion of dust and dirt into the apparatus except during the time the recording medium cartridge is inserted into or ejected from the cartridge holder. Of course, the door member also positively closes the path of movement during the time the recording medium is loaded in position in the recording/reproducing apparatus.
Thus, the recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present invention is configured to prevent intrusion of dust and dirt into the apparatus to provide the recording medium cartridge having a high recording density for information signals without complicating the structure or increasing the size of the apparatus.